Chinese embassy has described comments that British ministers will not be
dictated to over 'who they can and can't see' as 'mistaken'

David Cameron is facing a diplomatic row ahead of a major trip to China after the Chinese Embassy described comments by the Foreign Office Minster over the country’s human rights record “mistaken and irresponsible.”

Chinese officials hit back after Hugo Swire, the Foreign Office Minister, said that the UK had “nothing to apologise for” over David Cameron’s meeting with the Dalai Lama in 2012 adding that “no one will tell British ministers who they can and can’t see.”

It underlines the strained relations between the two countries ahead of a major trip to China in December. Earlier this year Beijing demanded an apology from the Prime Minister over his meeting with the Tibetan spiritual leader.

However Miao Deyu, the spokesman for the Chinese embassy wrote to House magazine, where the comments were published, arguing that the Dalai Lama wants to “split Tibet from China” and warning: “We hope that the countries and people concerned will have a clear understanding about it and stay on due alert.

He added: “In recent years, China and the UK have made important progress in their mutually beneficial cooperation. It did not come by easily.”

In May Beijing demanded a public apology after the Prime Minister held talks last year with the Tibetan the Dalai Lama.

At the time Downing Street sources admitted that they have had difficulties arranging meetings with senior figures in the Chinese government as a result of the stand-off.

Cameron has announced he will visit China in December on a trade mission designed to improve relations with the country.

It is thought that Mr Cameron is keen to encourage Chinese investment in infrastructure projects including the High Speed 2 rail network and the Government’s nuclear programme.

Responding to the letter from the Chinese Embassy Mr Swire said the angry reaction to his comments would not affect Britain’s approach to human rights in the country.

He said: “Look, we will be respectful. But we will be consistent. And we’re certainly not resigning from anything we’ve ever said on human rights.

“I think what we need to do is to be respectful of each other’s positions, and understand that what to us – and indeed the same goes for them – looks perfectly normal, sometimes it can be misconstrued and cause upset. And we need to be very conscious of that.”

The Chinese Embassy spokesman also said that comments by Conservative MP Tim Loughton that the Chinese government were treating Tibetans as “second-class citizens” and that the Tibetan culture was being “extinguished” as “absurd” and “untenable.”